The Effects of Teachers Behavior on Student Performance

The effect of teacher interpersonal behaviour on students’ subject-specific motivation
Perry den Brok, IVLOS Institute of Education, Utrecht University Jack Levy, Graduate School of Education, George Mason University Mieke Brekelmans, IVLOS Institute of Education, Utrecht University Theo Wubbels, Institute of Educational Sciences, Utrecht University
Re-submitted to: Journal of Classroom Interaction January 2006
Corresponding author: Dr. P. J. den Brok IVLOS Institute of Education Utrecht University
P. O. Box 80127 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands tel. +.31.30.2532231 fax. +.31.30.2532741 email: [e-mail]
Teacher interpersonal behaviour and students’ subject-specific motivation
Abstract This study brings together insights from research on teaching and learning in specific subjects, learning environments research and effectiveness research by linking teacher interpersonal behaviour to students’ subject-related attitudes. Teaching was studied in terms of a model originating from clinical psychology that was adapted to education. Teacher interpersonal behaviour was analysed in terms of two, independent behaviour dimensions called Influence and Proximity. This study investigated the added value of students’ perceptions of teacher interpersonal behaviour (after correction for covariates such as gender, report card grade, class size, etc.) on students’ subject- specific motivation. Data of 52 third-year EFL-classes (English as a Foreign Language; 1041 students), taught by 32 secondary teachers, were included in the analyses. The study used multilevel analysis of variance to investigate the effect of teaching on motivation and included several covariates as well. For all of the discerned subject-related attitude variables – pleasure, relevance, confidence and effort – a positive and strong effect was found for teacher Proximity. In addition, for three of the outcome variables – pleasure, relevance and effort – Influence also had a positive effect.

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